Fastener construction



Patented Feb. 26, 194e 2,395,650 FASTENER CONSTRUCTION Rex W. Allen, Palisades, N. Y., assignor to Camlo'c Fastener Corporation, New York, N. Y., a corporation of New York Application April 25, 1944, Serial No. 532,596y

4 Claims.

'I'his invention` relates to improvements in fasteners.

Among the objects of the invention are:

To provide an improved, simplified retainer which will adjustably hold one or more fastener elements;

To provide a retainer for fastener elements, which will provide for lateral and longitudinal adjustability of the fastener elements with respect to the retainer;

To provide a retainer structure in which the fastener elements may be easily inserted, and easily removed;

To providea low cost, simplified fastener assembly having adequate strength and rigidity.

In ,the accompanying drawing:

Fig. 1 is a plan View of a retainer, with fastener elements mounted therein;

Fig. 2 is a side elevation, in section on line 2 2 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is an end elevation, in section, on line 3-3 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 4 is a plan view of a second embodiment of the invention; and

Fig. 5 is an end elevation, in section, on line 5-5 of Fig. 4. l Referring to the drawing, one practical embodiment of the invention consists of a retainer or'm'ounting means I0 with which is associated any desired rplurality of fastener elements II.

-The retainer I0, see Fig. 3, is desirably a channel, rolled or drawn from a flat strip of metal, to have side walls I2 extending upwardly from a basev or web I4, and terminating in preferably horizontal top walls I5.

At locations at which the fastener elements I I are to be located in the retainer I 0, the side walls I-2 thereof are pierced or cult and the side wall structure intermediate the transverse end cuts is'deformed downwardly to form a widened base portion,v as indicated in Fig. 3, at each side of which is an opening through the side wall I2.v

Desirably, and as shown in Fig. 1, the length of one of the side wall apertures I6, is greater than the opposite side wall aperture I'I.

The fastener element I I, illustratively a nut, has a body portion IB and a base I9 from which extend wings or anges 20. The maximum width of the fastener element II, measured from wing to wing, is such that in the Fig. 1 position, the ends of the wings extend through the side wall apertures and are beneath the top walls I5 of the retainer.

The side wall opening I'I is only a little longer than the width of the adjacent wing 20, proin the plane of the base, the respective wings will pass through the openings, because of the excess length of opening I6.

To Vretain the'fastener wings Within the slots, the excess length portion of the slot I6 is deformed downwardly as at 2|, see Fig. 2, to give "to slot IB an eifective length equivalent to slot I l, and form an abutment which will preclude a disenga'ging rotation of the fastenerelements II.'

When it is desired to remove a fastener element from the retainer I0, the abutment 2I may be lifted, by a screw-driver, or like tool, to permit the disengaging rotation of the fastener elementII. lltwill benoted that one end, preferably the left end,of each of the slots I6, I1 is in alignment. In use, 'a screw or bolt is inserted into the nut II from the rear as viewed in Fig. 1, and assuming the nut to be standard right-hand thread, it is apparent that upon making up the screw, the latter will, be subject -to rotation count-erclockwise of Fig. l. After an initial brief rotation of the nut II within the limits afforded by the slots, the Ysides of the wings 2E) of the nut will abut against the solid metal of the walls I'2'Kat the upper left and lower right hand corners as viewed in Fig. 1. abutment 2| is not required to resist rotation ofthe nut II except when thel screw is being withdrawn from the nut; and in this operation, the loosening ofthe screw does not result in a forcible rotation of the nut which might cause a wing thereof to ride beneath the abutment 2I.

In asecondform of the invention, the retainer I00 may begsubstantially the same channel form as the retainer I0, except that as used, the web I d is on top, see Fig. 5. In this embodiment, the

retainer IBI) is transversely cut as at |60, II, the cut being longer than the cut I'I. After the retainer |00 is thus cut, the web and side wall portions of the retainer intermediate the cuts, is attened, as in a punch press, to form an en'- larged flat area at each side of which is an opening through which the wings 20 of the fastener elements I I may extend. The dierence in length of the `respective cuts |60, Ill), resulting in open- Hence, the deformed Cdl tainer through which they extend is such as to. permit play laterally and longitudinally of the' retainer. .It is also desirable to haveg'a. limited.'

amount of vertical play, asiappearsfinlnigs., 2..

and 5.

web of the retainers has an aperture of such dimension that at the maximur'n extent" of "adjusts" ment permitted the nut I I with respect tofthe re. tainer, there is a clear passage through the "web QthQretaineLr, tothe boreoffthenut;I,If. z shown irl-Figs. hand; 4,. theretainermay he, provided-.with apertures intermediate. theV loca.'- tions. Of the fastener elements, to accommodate. rivets ori screws byjmeansiof which thje retainers mayfbasecured to aplate, sheet, or. otherstructure,.t.o,which attaohmentisto bemade.

' Whereas'it is obvious;l that among. othersV the.

ture being slightly greater than the width of the wing portion extending therethrough and the other aperture being materially longer than the width of its associated Wing portion; a wall of said longer aperture being struck toward the side edge of said wing portion to limit the effective length of the aperture to substantially that of theopposite aperture.

' 3, In amultiple, fastener structure, the combination of an elongated retainer and a plurality ef., fastener elements carried thereby in spaced "relation, each fastener element including opposed, laterallyrextending wing portions which are dis- ,ppgd transyerselv ofthe retainer, the retainer Y qgrnprisiwrig acentral web and opposed side Walls At the locations of the respectivenuts Il the.

'extendingfan'gnlarly outwardly therefrom, each side wall having a'longitudinally-extending openyinglfwhieh receives one Wing portion of each fasseveral objects ofl the. invention. asl specifically.-

aforenotedare achieved, it; apparent that nu-` merous changes in construction 'and'. rearrangef. ments of .the parts might be resortedtogwithout departing from the spirit, of theinventionas de@ i ned lby .the,clai ms..

1..; ira-stenen stru.tturef.V comprising a. retainer hap-ing abaseand; side walls extendngangularly outwardly therefrom, said sidewalls having 1on1-` gitudi-lally.. extending cuts,v theL Cuts :in one. sidewallrbeingin.. 'register with,` and. parallel to, the cutsin.' the, opposite sidel wall, butxbeingV longer` than 'such' 'last-named. cuts; the portion. of. each; side wall adjacent the base being deformed downet wardly .throughout the length of Athe .outy therethroughtd provide an; enlargement; of the. basel ofitliel retainer :and elongate openings in registry.' wthtlie base; a. fastener elementfdisposed on. sei'dbasa, and. having. wing portions extendingtllrough thefrespective elongate openings i` aayvalln portionofthe retainer intermediate theends of thalnger aperture being deformed. adiacent the wingprtionxtending therethrough to reduceA thet-ective'len'gthof the said aperture to apprxirn-a'tely the. 'length ofthe opposite aperture;

"2J-Fastener structure comprising-a channelformi retainer having a web and sidewalls vex",- teding angularly outwardlif therefrom, saidI retaine havinjg"VV spaced` parallel; slots between which'fthe web of the retainer-"and portions off' l n the-'sidewalls merge toprovi'de an nlargeqfat tionitliereinto reducethe'eiective,lengthofsuch surface bounded-on twor sides by elongateaper-r turesj" `a 'fastener' element disposedon said flat surfe'e `and' having wing portions projecting @me .Salealertrsih length .Girone ever.-

tener element, the opposed openings for receivingA such wing portions of each fastener element belga, generally aligned but.. being of:l unequal length, the shorter opening being of sucient. length te. permit, the fastener .element to. have limited.; -mpi/ement, therein, the. longer Opening permttinethe opposite' winato'he.insertfnttherel into, a wall portion of the retainer intermediate. trlependsfuch longer opening being; deformed adjacent. the wingportiontherein to reducethe.- effective length. of such. opening toappmximatelr the length of the shorter opening..

t, vIna multiple astenerstructuregthe .sembinetion; 0i, an. elongated; iretainerl and-.1aL plurality; of fastener elements carried therebyimspacedre. lationL each .fastener element having an opening andi being providedqwith; Qlilllosiev laterallyfexf. tending Wine portinnswhich are.; disposed transversely, Qf :the retainer, the retainer. being stamped from sheet met-ai'an cifcomprising a centraliwebv and. opposed side walls. extending diagonal-proutif wardly and upwardly therefrom, the web. having.

opening. aignedwith the opening ineaeh-,fastener element, each side wall having aglong-itudi-. ria..lha-exten,dingv ont; forming. en opening; which receives one Wing pOI'On offeachffastenen elef.. tment. the. opposed; anteior receiving. such .wing

portions of each fastener elementbeing'. of 1in-l.

equal length, theportions o the cuts .adi acentethe Centrakweb being. deformeddownwardly through-j 0.1112; thnleneths. of. suchfcuts, to. widenthe..webin.i

"i the, areaof; support; for; the-fastener. element, the.

outer.` marginali edges.. of: such Ldownwardly deformed; portions lying inside the.. ,outer marginal' edges-of thesidawalls, the shorter. openingbeing r ofsuiiicient length to permit .the fastenerfelementi ",-if to have limited movement. therein; thelongen opening to. approximately ,thelengtnleif theshort.. erlopeninge"` 

